General and comparative endocrinology最新文献

{"title":"In vivo induction of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.) spawning using a synthetic relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide","authors":"Adam K. Hillberg ,&nbsp;Richard J. Harris ,&nbsp;Cherie A. Motti ,&nbsp;Abigail Elizur ,&nbsp;Hongkang Wu ,&nbsp;Mohammed Akhter Hossain ,&nbsp;Ross A.D. Bathgate ,&nbsp;Scott F. Cummins","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114804","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114804","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The corallivorous Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS; <em>Acanthaster</em> cf. <em>solaris</em>) has become a major pest across the Indo-Pacific, primarily due to anthropogenic environmental factors that have increased populations beyond sustainable levels. These effects are costly to both the economy and ecology of coral reefs and require human intervention. A better understanding of endogenous reproductive factors could help establish more effective management strategies. Based on information regarding an endogenous spawn-inducing peptide in COTS, known as the relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide (RGP), a version of this peptide (called synthetic <em>Aso</em>-RGP; inspired by the sequence from <em>Acanthaster</em> cf. <em>solaris</em>) was chemically synthesized. In this study, we demonstrate that <em>in vivo</em> intra-coelomic injection of reproductively mature COTS with 1 µM synthetic <em>Aso</em>-RGP (100 µl) induced spawning of males and females at 20 ± 6.8 min and 32.3 ± 17.2 min post-injection, respectively. Typical spawning behaviours were also observed, including seeking high-ground, crowning/arching and upwards curling of arms prior to gamete release, leading to &gt;95 % fertilization rate. Subsequent testing of synthetic <em>Aso</em>-RGP at 1 µM on mature COTS ovarian fragments stimulated 100 % oocyte germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), similar to that observed for the positive 1-methyladenine (1 and 10 mM) control, confirming activation of the RGP cascade. Synthetic <em>Aso</em>-RGP was not, however, effective in inducing spawning or triggering GVBD outside of the reproductive season, demonstrating it is seasonally functional. Finally, we showed that synthetic <em>Aso</em>-RGP can also stimulate spawning in the COTS sibling species, <em>Acanthaster brevispinus</em>. In summary, this research has established the bioactivity of the synthetic <em>Aso</em>-RGP, which in turn, may prove critical for the development of a novel control approach to manipulate COTS spawning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 114804"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144931651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Methimazole suppresses, and 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) activates GPCRs, TRs and Na+/K+-ATPase subunit isoform expression in air-breathing fish hearts","authors":"P.U. Ushas ,&nbsp;M.C. Subhash Peter","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114802","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>3-iodothyronamine (T₁AM), an endogenous aminergic derivative of thyroid hormone (TH), exhibits cardioprotective effects in mammals. However, it is unclear whether T₁AM has similar effects in fish hearts to counteract hypothyroidism. We hypothesise that T₁AM may regulate the expression patterns of GPCR-associated neuroendocrine receptors, thyroid hormone receptors (TRs), and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase (NKA) subunit isoform genes, and may exert protection against hypothyroidism. The effects of T₁AM on ion transporter activities in fish hearts under euthyroid conditions were first examined <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> to ascertain its direct impact on euthyroid fish hearts. Subsequently, the effects of methimazole (MMI), an antithyroid drug, and T₁AM replacement in hypothyroid hearts of the air-breathing fish (<em>Anabas testudineus</em>) were studied. Dose-dependent effects of T₁AM on ion-dependent ATPase activities were observed both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> in euthyroid hearts. While MMI treatment increased NKA activity, T₁AM replacement decreased its activity in hypothyroid hearts. The downregulation of NKA subunit isoform expressions (<em>nkaα1a, nkaα1b, nkaα1c, atp1b1, atp1b2</em>) by MMI was reversed when T₁AM was added in hypothyroid hearts. Similarly, MMI suppressed and T₁AM activated the transcript of trace amine-associated receptors <em>taar1</em> and <em>taar8c</em>, as well as TR isoforms (<em>thra, thrab, thrb</em>) in the hypothyroid heart. MMI activated <em>adra2a</em> and suppressed <em>adrb2</em> expression, while T₁AM reversed these effects; however, both MMI and T₁AM downregulated <em>drd2</em> expression. These data indicate a novel targeted action of T₁AM on cardiac GPCRs, TR function, and NKA-mediated ion osmotic homeostasis in hypothyroid fish, suggesting potential cardioprotective effects of T₁AM against hypothyroidism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 114802"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144895385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of mineralocorticoids on α-Na+/K+ ATPase expression and parasite morphology in T. crassiceps WFU cysticerci","authors":"Jesus Angel Aguirre-Pineda ,&nbsp;Ricardo Arturo Valdéz Perez ,&nbsp;Alfredo Pérez-Guiot ,&nbsp;Raúl J. Bobes ,&nbsp;Marta Catalina Romano","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mineralocorticoids are corticosteroid hormones that, in vertebrates, regulate extracellular fluid volume and salt balance by modulating the expression and activity of Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase, the enzyme that generates and maintains Na⁺ and K⁺ gradients across plasma membranes. However, the function of mineralocorticoids in invertebrates has not been well studied. Cysticerci (larvae) of the parasite <em>Taenia crassiceps</em> WFU synthesize the corticosteroids 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and corticosterone <em>in vitro</em>. Here, we searched the genome and transcriptome of <em>T. crassiceps</em> for the presence of α-Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase sequences. We also studied the effects of corticosteroids on α-Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase expression and on the morphology of <em>T. crassiceps</em> WFU cysticerci <em>in vitro</em>. Cysticerci were obtained from the peritoneal cavity of previously infected female mice and cultured in the presence of corticosterone, DOC, spironolactone (a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist) or metyrapone (a corticosteroid synthesis inhibitor) at different concentrations and for different periods of time. ATPase expression was evaluated by Western blotting. Genome and transcriptome searches revealed two highly conserved α-Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase sequences in <em>T. crassiceps</em> WFU. DOC was found to increase α-Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase expression in a concentration-dependent manner. The incubation of parasites with spironolactone, but not with metyrapone, significantly decreased the expression of the enzyme. In addition, DOC increased parasite size, whereas spironolactone and metyrapone altered parasite shape and size, respectively. These results suggest a role for mineralocorticoids in salt–water regulation of <em>T. crassiceps</em> WFU. A deep understanding of these mechanisms could contribute to improving therapeutic strategies for cysticercosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 114803"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144912528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-year profiles of T3 are positively correlated with corticosterone in male bowhead whale baleen","authors":"Justine M. Hudson ,&nbsp;Kathleen Hunt ,&nbsp;Marianne Marcoux ,&nbsp;C.Loren Buck ,&nbsp;Cory J.D. Matthews","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114800","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114800","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thyroid hormones play an important role in the regulation of growth, development, metabolism, thermoregulation, and migration. Very little information exists on patterns of thyroid hormone concentrations in healthy mysticete whales, as many studies have focused on ill, entangled, or stranded whales, making it difficult to interpret thyroid hormone trends. In this study, we used a unique sample-set of bowhead whale baleen plates to explore the long-term interrelationships between triiodothyronine (T3), the most biologically active thyroid hormone, corticosterone, testosterone, and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N) (proxies for stress, reproduction, and diet, respectively) to investigate the role T3 may play in the physiology of healthy cetaceans. Baleen plates were collected between 1998 and 2011 from eight subsistence-harvested male bowhead whales across the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Each baleen plate generated 88–158 serial samples, representing ∼11–22 years of life for each individual whale. T3 concentrations ranged from 0.61 to 21.62 ng/g and varied seasonally in just two whales. Most whales showed no correlation between T3 and seasonal fluctuations in testosterone or δ¹⁵N, suggesting that variation in T3 is not driven by seasonal shifts in reproductive cycles, consumer trophic level, or migration. However, a strong positive correlation between T3 and corticosterone was observed in every whale, which we hypothesized was due to non-seasonal factors that simultaneously increase metabolic rate and physiological stress. The positive correlation between T3 with corticosterone suggests that in mysticete whales, some stressors may require increased energetic output.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 114800"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144882683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Catecolaminergic systems and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis: adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine treatments in vivo in lizard Podarcis siculus","authors":"Rosaria Sciarrillo ,&nbsp;Alessandra Falzarano ,&nbsp;Vito Gallicchio ,&nbsp;Assunta Lallo ,&nbsp;Francesca Carrella ,&nbsp;Aldo Mileo ,&nbsp;Anna Capaldo ,&nbsp;Maria De Falco","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The catecolaminergic system, which uses dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline as neurotransmitters, originates in the brainstem nuclei and spreads widely throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Although there are data indicating that interactions between the catecolaminergic systems of the nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis do indeed take place and may be of physiological and clinical relevance, such interactions are far from being clarified. In this paper, we studied the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis responses in lizards treated with adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine respectively. Adrenaline raised plasma TRH and TSH levels and induced a stimulatory effect on the thyroid gland activity with an increase of T₃ and T₄ levels. On the contrary, noradrenaline treatment induced a reduction in TRH secretion, accompanied by a normal circulating TSH level and increased plasma T₄ levels but with a reduction of circulating T₃ levels. Dopamine stimulated TRH secretion centrally but induced TSH deficiency followed by reduction of circulating T₃ and T₄ levels. Furthermore, the effects of the catecolaminergic system on the TRH-TSH-thyroid hormone axis has been also manifested through mechanisms in peripheral organs such as the liver. The dynamic interplay between TRH and TSH and the feedback effects on circulating thyroid hormones after treatment with adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine is a very sophisticated and complicated mechanism that responds via afferent inputs from neurons originating in the paraventricular nucleus and can influence the secretion of TRH and TSH-secreting hypophysiotropic neurons with consequent feedback on thyroid hormones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"373 ","pages":"Article 114801"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144872703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neurosecretory protein GL stimulates feeding behavior and fat accumulation in Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica)","authors":"Masaki Kato,&nbsp;Eiko Iwakoshi-Ukena,&nbsp;Megumi Furumitsu,&nbsp;Yuki Narimatsu,&nbsp;Kazuyoshi Ukena","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114798","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114798","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neurosecretory protein GL (NPGL) is a novel hypothalamic neuropeptide that promotes fat accumulation in rats, mice, and neonatal chicks. However, its role in Japanese quail (<em>Coturnix japonica</em>) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of NPGL on body mass, food intake, and fat deposition in five-week-old male Japanese quails. A 13-day infusion of NPGL significantly increased body mass, food intake, and the masses of subcutaneous fat, abdominal fat, and liver. In contrast, water intake and the masses of the pancreas, testes, heart, and muscle remained unchanged. Blood concentrations of triglyceride, glucose, and non-esterified fatty acid were unaffected. Real-time qPCR analysis revealed a significant upregulation of <em>NPGM</em>, a paralogous gene of <em>NPGL</em>, in the hypothalamus. Additionally, the expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), a key enzyme involved in lipogenesis, showed an increasing trend in the liver. Although the fatty acid ratio used as the SCD1 activity index (palmitoleate/palmitate) did not change, the <em>de novo</em> lipogenesis index (palmitate/linoleate) tended to increase in both the liver and abdominal fat. These results suggest that NPGL promotes fat accumulation in Japanese quails, indicating its potential involvement in avian adiposity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"372 ","pages":"Article 114798"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144840774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulation of transforming growth factor beta 1 in the ovary of ovoviviparous black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii)","authors":"Xiao Jing,&nbsp;Likang Lyu,&nbsp;Chenpeng Zuo,&nbsp;Jianshuang Li,&nbsp;Xiaojie Wang,&nbsp;Jing Yang,&nbsp;Tianyu Jiang,&nbsp;Yun Li,&nbsp;Haishen Wen,&nbsp;Xin Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), a multifunctional secreted polypeptide cytokine, has been reported to play crucial roles in pregnancy process of mammals, including immune tolerance and embryonic development. However, less is known in Pisces. Aimed to figure out the molecular mechanism underlying TGF-β1 functions, black rockfish (<em>Sebastes schlegelii</em>), an ovoviviparity teleost, which process the sperm storage and gestation periods, was employed as the research model. In the present study, we found that <em>tgfb1</em> among four <em>tgfb</em> isoforms was highly expressed and localized in ovary. The recombinant TGF-β1 (rTGF-β1) was mainly involved in immune response, signal transduction, angiogenesis and cell death by analyzing transcriptome of ovarian cells. The current results reveal the pivotal role of TGF-β1 in black rockfish ovary and provide novel insights into cytokines in the pregnancy of ovoviviparity teleost.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"372 ","pages":"Article 114799"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144830268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scale cortisol reflects the acute but not the chronic stress status in green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)","authors":"Abigayle M. McKinley,&nbsp;Carol Best,&nbsp;Nicholas J. Bernier","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Scale cortisol has the potential to be a useful biomarker of chronic stress in fish, but the dynamics of scale cortisol accumulation and release are not well understood. In this study, we assessed the dynamics of plasma and scale cortisol accumulation and clearance in green sunfish (<em>Lepomis cyanellus</em>) in response to acute and chronic stressors. While sunfish exposed to 21 days of unpredictable chronic stress (UCS) mounted an attenuated acute plasma cortisol response to the daily stressor on day 21 and had reduced liver and body conditions, their scale cortisol content was either unchanged or reduced. In contrast, exposure to an acute stressor increased scale cortisol content 30 min post-stressor in naïve fish but had no effect when preceded by the 21-day UCS protocol. We also examined the effects of an acute stressor on scale cortisol content in goldfish (<em>Carassius auratus</em>) to identify potential species differences in scale cortisol dynamics. Interestingly, although an acute stressor increased scale cortisol content 30 min post-stressor and declined 24 h later in both species, only sunfish scale cortisol levels returned to baseline by 24 h post-stressor. Together, our results indicate that scales in green sunfish can accumulate and clear cortisol rapidly following an acute stressor and do not reflect long-term accumulation of cortisol from the plasma during chronic stress. As such, we conclude that scale cortisol content is not a biomarker of chronic stress in green sunfish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"372 ","pages":"Article 114797"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144821184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disorders of glucose metabolism and impaired energy metabolism in pfkma and pfkmb knockout zebrafish","authors":"Na Liu ,&nbsp;Mengjie Li ,&nbsp;Tianci Liu ,&nbsp;Jitu Wang ,&nbsp;Bo Zhang ,&nbsp;Man Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114787","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114787","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In our previous study, Phosphofructokinase, muscle (PFKM), a key enzyme in glucose metabolism, was found to be decreased in the urinary exosomes of diabetic patients. The role of PFKM in glucose and energy metabolism is not fully understood. The study explores PFKM’s implications in these metabolic pathways through the lens of a zebrafish model.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed <em>pfkma</em> and <em>pfkmb</em> expressions in early zebrafish development using Daniocell and ZESTA databases and performed whole-mount <em>in situ</em> hybridization on embryos up to 4 days post-fertilization (dpf). The CRISPR/Cas9 system was utilized to generate <em>pfkma</em> and <em>pfkmb</em> knockout zebrafish, and the expression of various genes, including <em>β-actin, pfkma, pfkmb, peo1, mfn1, drp1, nd2, cytb, cox3,</em> and <em>atp6</em>, was measured by qRT-PCR in the embryos.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Knockout mutants displayed elevated glucose levels across whole embryos. Additionally, at 5 dpf, <em>pfkma</em> and <em>pfkmb</em> double mutants showed pancreatic islet proliferation, ATP depletion, downregulation of the expression of the mitochondrial-related gene <em>peo1,</em> and impaired locomotor activity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>PFKM plays an important role in stabilizing glucose metabolism and has a certain impact on mitochondrial energy metabolism pathways in zebrafish model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"372 ","pages":"Article 114787"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144717820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ontogeny of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone cells and fibers in the brain and pituitary gland of the pejerrey fish, Odontesthes bonariensis","authors":"Ana M. Pahí-Rosero ,&nbsp;Gabriela C. López ,&nbsp;María R. Pérez ,&nbsp;Alejandro S. Mechaly ,&nbsp;Takayoshi Ubuka ,&nbsp;José A. Muñoz-Cueto ,&nbsp;Paula G. Vissio ,&nbsp;Gustavo M. Somoza","doi":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114788","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ygcen.2025.114788","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone is a neuropeptide belonging to the RF-amide family of peptides, first characterized in birds. This peptide can inhibit the synthesis and release of gonadotropins in both avians and mammals. Although gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (Gnih) variants have also been detected in different fish species, knowledge of their physiological action is still inconclusive and controversial. In addition, there is very little information on the neuronal development of Gnih cells in early stages. In this context, the objective of the present study is to characterize Gnih-containing neurons and fibers in the brain and pituitary gland of adult fish, and during early development of the pejerrey (<em>Odontesthes bonariensis</em>), and the possible relationship with the sex differentiation process.</div><div>The Gnih neurons and fibers were determined by immunohistochemistry by using different antisera in the adult pejerrey brain. Gnih-immunoreactive (Gnih-ir) neurons were observed in the olfactory bulbs, the terminal nerve ganglion, the lateral nuclei of the ventral telencephalon, the posterior periventricular nucleus, the dorsal tegmentum, and some isolated neuronal bodies were detected in the secondary gustatory nucleus. Very few Gnih-ir fibers were detected innervating the pituitary gland.</div><div>The Gnih neuronal and fiber distribution was also studied from hatching to week 10, covering the sex differentiation period until the gonadal sex was observed. Gnih-immunoreactive neuronal bodies were identified from hatching in the terminal nerve ganglion and the diencephalic posterior periventricular nucleus. Gnih-ir fibers were observed in many regions, including the retina, and a profuse innervation was observed in the pituitary. From the first week post-hatching, Gnih-ir neuronal bodies were identified in the dorsal mesencephalic tegmentum and the lateral nucleus of the ventral telencephalon. In addition, Gnih-ir cells were detected in the pituitary. These Gnih-ir cells were consistently detected from 3 to 7 weeks after hatching, coinciding with onset of gonadal differentiation. At week 10 and in the adult, only a few Gnih-ir fibers were observed in the pituitary. Although the precise function of these pituitary Gnih-ir cells is unknown, the relationship between the appearance of these cells and the process of sex differentiation suggests that Gnih may influence this process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12582,"journal":{"name":"General and comparative endocrinology","volume":"372 ","pages":"Article 114788"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144665536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}